infoTECH News

[May 13, 2014]

Si2 Announces Translator for the Open Process Specification into OpenAccess

AUSTIN, Texas --(Business Wire)--

Si2's OpenPDK coalition has announced the availability of an Open
Process Specification (OPS) to OpenAccess Tech Database translator,
known as "OPS2oaTechDB". The Open Process Specification (OPS) standard
contains all of the data elements necessary to automatically create a
Process Design Kit (PDK) in any EDA vendor's or company proprietary
design flow. Likewise, the OpenAccess Tech Database is an adjunct to the
design databases of OpenAccess, cross-linked to the OpenAccess design
data.

The development of OPS2oaTechDB, allows critical IC
process/manufacturing data to be directly imported from the new OPS
standard into the industry-standard OpenAccess design environment.
Likewise, the bidirectional translation capability provided will help
end users understand and adopt OPS eXtensible Markup Language (XML)
since they will be able to pull their existing data from their current
database and view its representation in OPS XML format. The
bidirectional nature also eases flow testing and has the potential to
provide improved quality control.

The previous version of the translator takes XML data from the OPS XML
database and automatically creates an oaTechDB, related display files,
and a GDSII layer file. The XML data contains essential information,
such as database resolution, database grids, layer and purpose
information, and streamIO information, to name a few elements. The data
set will be expanded to include other vital items that are common across
most EDA tools that use OpenAccess.

Version 1.2 of the translator will use the XML Schema (News - Alert) Definition (XSD)
of the Technology Section of the OPS standard to automatically create
C++ classes for the translator. This approach is designed to accelerate
the adoption of OPS. The OPS XSD is used to create a library that not
only validates and reads the OPS XML data, but also creates the code
necessary to write the XML, thus providing bidirectional translation
capability. Since OPS XML technology is new, few users have XML
descriptions of their technology databases, however, many users alredy
have OpenAccess Technology Databases. The OPS2oaTechDB translator, in
reverse mode, will read the user's binary technology database and other
related files to generate an OPS XML file, giving them a solid baseline
from which to begin their use of OPS.

"The OPS2oaTechDB translator is an indispensible tool for creating and
debugging OPS-based Process Development Kits," says Gilles Namur,
Process Design Kit Architect at ST Microelectronics and Chair of Si2's
OpenPDK Coalition Technical Steering Group. "It provides users with the
capability of not only seeding the OPS XML with technical data from
their own database, but also provides a direct translation route to
store modified technical information back into their OpenAccess database
after changes they might make to the OPS PDK. Round-trip testing of the
data allows one to check for quality issues before final check-off of
the OPS XML-based PDK."

A Press Conference will be held on Monday, June 2, at the Design
Automation Conference (DAC) in the Moscone Convention Center, Room 300.
The event will feature Philippe Magarshack, Exec VP, Design Enablement
and Services. STMicroelectronics (News - Alert) will discuss "OpenPDK Production Value
and Benchmark Results at STMicroelectronics". Further details can be
found at: https://www.si2.org/dac_2014/abstracts/prconf_abstract.php.

A demonstration titled "Jump Starting your PDK's: OPS2oaTechDB
Demonstration" will be presented June 3, 10:00AM in the Si2 Booth #1107
at the Design Automation Conference. For a complete list of Si2 Booth
Presentations, see: https://www.si2.org/dac_2014/dac_2014_fp.php.

Si2 is the largest organization of industry-leading semiconductor,
systems, EDA and manufacturing companies focused on the development and
adoption of standards to improve the way integrated circuits are
designed and manufactured, in order to speed time-to market, reduce
costs, and meet the challenges of sub-micron design. Now in its 26th
year, Si2 is uniquely positioned to enable timely collaboration through
dedicated staff and a strong implementation focus driven by its member
companies. Si2 represents over 100 companies involved in all parts of
the silicon supply chain throughout the world. See www.si2.org.